If you can believe the trend watchers, we will all soon be riding an e-bike. But is an e-bike always the right solution, or do you opt for a gular bicycle? The arguments for doubters in a row.
1.Your condition
You have to work to improve your fitness. So a regular bicycle is always better for your condition than an electrically assisted one. Certainly if you don’t cycle that far and not so often, you run the risk of your condition deteriorating. If you trade in a regular bicycle for an e-bike, you should commute more one day a week than you do now, or of course take a longer route. If you look at distance: you have to cycle 25% more for the same effect on your fitness. Fortunately, we also see that people travel longer distances with an e-bike, so in the end it depends on your own cycling pattern. If you buy an e-bike, drive one more round.
Winner: regular bike, unless you cycle more
2. Longer Distance
With an electric bicycle you can easily cover longer distances. Especially to work, we are more likely to go the extra mile. An ordinary commuter cyclist travels about 7.5 km each way, if he has an e-bike, that is already about 15 km. Of course there are exceptions and in the past we all covered 30 kilometers against the wind, but here the e-bikers have a point. An additional advantage: with an e-bike, people continue to cycle longer into old age.
Winner: Electric Bicycle
3. Difference in price
Let’s not beat around the bush: an e-bike costs a lot of money. You can easily pay a few thousand euros for a good electric bicycle. And such a battery is not for eternity. If you have to replace it, you will quickly be a few hundred euros further. Then a regular bicycle is a lot cheaper. However, if you compare these amounts with a car, the e-bike still wins on its slippers.
Winner: regular bike
4. Longevity
An electric bicycle often does not last as long. That’s not surprising, an electric bicycle contains many more things that can break. You can compare an entry-level e-bike for 2000 euros with a non-motorized city bike for 800 euros. The latter lasts twice as long. If the e-bike lasts for 5 years and the non-motorized bicycle for 10 years, you will have a depreciation of 80 euros for the normal bicycle and 400 euros per year for the e-bike. If you want to get an e-bike out of it, you have to cycle about 4000 kilometers per year. If you look at lease prices, an e-bike is about a factor of 4 more expensive.
Winner: regular bike
5. Comfort
Never arrive sweaty again, whistling up hills, always the feeling that you have the wind behind you. Anyone who owns an e-bike usually lacks superlatives. And that’s not so crazy. Wind through your hair is addictive, and we’d rather not suffer. Small disadvantage: you always have to ensure that the battery is fully charged, because otherwise you have to press the pedals extra hard.
Winner: Electric Bicycle
6. Theft
With an e-bike you run a greater risk of your bike being stolen. But that’s not an exclusive problem with e-bikes, that goes for any expensive bike. You don’t leave your custom-made racing bike in front of the supermarket either. In addition, the theft risk is also very dependent on your location. In the cities, your city barrel is just as outlawed. Find it quickly? A GPS tracker can help.
Winner: none
For the doubters: try it out first
Not sure yet what kind of bike you want to buy? Then try different models, both with and without support. When you ride with pedal assist for the first time, any electric bike is fantastic. But try out some bikes in tough, realistic conditions. Go to a test center, make an appointment with your bicycle mechanic, rent an e-bike for a day or try an electric Swap bike for a few months.
Post time: Oct-13-2021
